How to Write a Press Release That Will Get Noticed

Would you like to learn how to write a press release that will get noticed?

When you’re first starting a business, building brand awareness is super important.

How else will new customers learn about your great products, exceptional values and dedicated customer service?

While there are lots of ways to help spread the word—advertising, social media, search engine optimisation (SEO)—sometimes a good old-fashioned press release is the way to go.

Writing a press release is something every professional and entrepreneur should know how to do. It can be an effective way to help build brand reputation and maybe even catch the eye of local journalists.

Sharing research – If you have relevant stats to share, people will want to know.

Receiving an award – A press release is the place to brag about your accomplishments!

Hiring a new executive – A large company may want to announce these new hires.

Crisis management – Get on the front foot or correct misinformation.

In each of the cases above, a press release gives your business an opportunity to get information to the public.

What to include in a press release

By now you’re hopefully sold on making press releases part of your business’ marketing strategy. But, how do you write one?

There are a few different formats for writing a press release. However, you’ll find that they all include five basic bits of information:

Headline

Location

Body

Boilerplate

Press contact info

Crafting an Irresistible Press Release

Now that you know what goes into a typical press release, it’s time to start writing!

But how do you take the elements above and turn them into something people will actually read? Let’s break it down a bit further in a way you can use it as a press release format.

Headline – This is the first part of your press release people will read, so make it great!

An interesting and informative headline can catch the eye of a journalist or blogger, enticing them to turn it into a bigger story. It should be simple and short, with clear language and strong action verbs.

You may also decide to include a sub-headline just below the main headline.

This is a chance to expand on what you’re saying with the main headline, providing a bit more context for the story to come.

Don’t go overboard here, though. The idea is to further entice readers, so a single sentence is fine.

As you come up with your headline (and sub-headline) it helps to think like a reporter. They don’t have a lot of time, so get them the info they need quickly and clearly. Don’t go overboard with praise for your company and try to avoid clichés.

An example: Lifestyle brand ModCloth announced it would shut down its site on Black Friday to give employees the day off. Their creative press release headline: “ModCloth Breaks Up With Black Friday.”

Location – This lets the reader know where you are and helps them decide how relevant the information in your press release is to them.

A company launching a new brand in New Zealand likely isn’t newsworthy to customers in France. Your city and region or state is really all that’s needed here.

Body – Here’s where you include the full story that was hinted at in the headline!

A good rule of thumb is to put the most important information in the first paragraph. Who are you? What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Anything the reader absolutely should know comes first.

The body is a good space to include quotes from one or two key stakeholders within your company. Any quotes should help shape the narrative you’re building and emphasise your announcement.

Choosing an angle for your article can help you shape the entire press release, including the quotes.

Think about hooking your audience: What does this mean for them? How does this help them? Why should they care?

An example: Momentum Life, who sells life and funeral insurance in New Zealand, recently received their insurance licence.

In the press release for this announcement, they focus on how this will give New Zealanders more choices when it comes to life insurance.

Boilerplate – This is where you give more background on your company. Describe what the business does and include any other important information you’d like people to know, such as recent awards or an ongoing charity partnership.

You should also include a link to your website, which could help your SEO efforts.

An example: This joint press release from The New York Public Library and Young Lions includes boilerplates for both organisations. Yes, even a library can benefit from a great press release!

Press contact – Who should journalists or bloggers call if they have more questions? Include that person’s full name, position in the company, phone number and email address.

This is typically your head of marketing or public relations specialist. (Don’t worry—this info typically isn’t released to the public when the press release is published.)

Time to start writing!

Now that you have the tools you need to write an amazing press release, it’s time to put them to use. Start brainstorming how to work them into your marketing plan and get your company the attention it deserves.

I am the CEO of Entrepreneur Business Blog, Chief Evangelist of Ebusinessroom Ventures, Lead Coach of The Excellent Entrepreneurs' Network (TEEN) and Convenor of #NaijaSitUp.
My business is to help you start, manage and grow a profitable and sustainable business using digital marketing strategies.
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